Maharashtra government told the Bombay High Court that it was awaiting presidential assent to the Maharashtra Transport and Road Safety Act 2017 aimed at penalising needless honking by vehicles and reducing noise pollution

The Maharashtra government told the Bombay High Court that it was awaiting presidential assent to the Maharashtra Transport and Road Safety Act 2017 aimed at penalising needless honking by vehicles and reducing noise pollution. Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhkoni told a division bench of justices A S Oka and Vibha Kankanwadi that the Act has been passed by the Maharashtra Assembly in April this year but is yet to be implemented as the state government is waiting for presidential assent to it.

The section 20 of the Act prohibits drivers from honking "needlessly or continuously or more than what is necessary to ensure safety" besides honking in silence zonesand using multi-toned horns that create harsh, shrill, loud or alarming noise and also from driving vehicles after modifying exhaust silencer, making it more noisy. The section 23 of the Act provides penalty of Rs 2,000 for each of the contraventions.

The government apprised the court of its wait for the presidential assent to the law today during hearing of a bunch of petitions seeking strict implementation of the Noise Pollution Rules especially during the festive occasions like Ganeshotsav, Navratri and Dahi Handi.